B.o.B

Bobby Ray "B.o.B" Simmons is an Atlanta-based rapper. He began to garner attention in 2007 with a series of Internet-released mixtapes, including The Future Of Hip Hop, Cloud 9 and Hi! My Name Is B.o.B. Due to the interest surrounding him, Simmons was signed to rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint in 2008. That same year he released his Who the F*ck is B.o.B? mixtape, which included the single "I'll Be In The Sky." The song and its accompanying video gradually gained traction and airplay on mainstream radio and television.

In 2009 he shared the cover of XXL magazine's "Freshmen 10," a list of up-and-coming talent. Leading up to the 2010 release of his debut album, B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray, Simmons issued another single, "Airplanes." The song featured a hook sung by Hayley Williams of the rock band Paramore. Simmons also released another mixtape entitled May 25, a reference to the planned release date of the album. A single from the mixtape, "Nothin' On You," also became a hit and was certified platinum in early April 2010. Simmons also leaked a song from the album "Bet I," which featured T.I. and Playboy Tre. The release date of his album was adjusted to late April 2010. ~Dan Nishimoto